Album Review: ‘On The Dancefloor’ by The Planet Smashers

The Planet Smashers, based out of Montreal, are ska-punk veterans. On August 22, their first album of the 2020s comes out, and there couldn’t be better timing for the release. Tony Hawk games are back with Tony Hawk 3 + 4, chunky skate shoes are back in skateparks, Warped Tour is tearing through the states, and The Planet Smashers are releasing an album? Is it 2005?

The band’s upcoming record, On The Dancefloor feels like beers in the gap at your local skatepark. It feels like a Playstation 2. It feels like sun, and maybe a bit of a sunburn. It’s up-beat, even the break-up and protest songs, and it’s plain old ska. 

The 13-track record kicks off with a track called “Wasted Tomorrows.” The opening guitar riffs made me want to get my guitar out in inspiration, the verses are catchy, and the pre-chorus slows perfectly. The song is about hanging out, wasting time, and enjoying every second of it. The band’s singer, Matt Collyer sings out, “sipping drinks by the dugout,” and if you’re not wanting to join them at the end of this track, you’re lying. 

“Meet Me on the Dancefloor,” the second track, is solid, but it’s not for me. I’d say it’s safe, and I’m sure some listeners will wild out to it, but I didn’t feel this one. The instrumental and vocals are great, but the lyrics feel real on the nose. If this track makes me want to do anything, it’s to get a nice pigeon to walk around while I listen to it so at least one of us is bobbing. 

“Alien,” calls for freedom of movement. “Hiding in the backseat, police patrol these roads … tracked by our nations … ID for immigration … If I can build a spaceship I’d fly it all around,” Collyer sings. And all while it’s topically serious, the band keeps it playful and it’s definitely something to still jam to, even if you’re not wanting a reminder of the American government’s Gestapo-style war on undocumented people. 

The fourth track, “Things You Do,” makes me, someone as far away from vox as possible, want to sing out their chorus like a pro. The slow opening into the chorus hits, and the drop in speed back into the verse hypes up the next one. The second half of the song is peak, and makes this track fully, in my opinion, a sin of the highest degree to skip. 

“Falling,” has a similar feel to the previous track, and that can only mean good things. The main difference would be that there’s a bit more speed to it. But like most of the album, the chorus is catchy, and you’ll be singing it. 

“Police Brutality,” is, as one may guess, about police brutality. But that doesn’t mean this track’s tone is serious, can ska even be serious? The track’s chorus, in my opinion, is one of the weakest on the record, and the track, as a whole, is carried by its lyrical content, which is great. I mean, if you’re listening to ska, you probably would agree any calls against the police are great. Instrumentally, the track wasn’t for me, but who knows, maybe it’s for you.

“Torpedo,” the seventh track, goes crazy over the news. It’s wild, up-beat, and it’s unskippable. With lyrics in the realm of pessimism, Collyer belting “the war wages on, I heard the news and it’s gone to hell,” the track is still feel-good. The track is strong instrumentally, the lyrics are catchy, as always. 

“Bags of Cash,” is a driving tune. But that’s not a bad thing, this one is just more of a vibe than anything else. This song is just one of those ones that sounds like an open window and air in your face would suit it best. The instrumental and vocals are great, but compared to other tracks on the record, it falls lower on the list. 

“Belly Up,” is a good time, but it isn’t anything to write home about. It’s a good listen, but it doesn’t add much to the project. While it isn’t a skip, it isn’t far from one. The following track, “Walk On Back,” feels like a long interlude if anything. It isn’t anywhere near bad, but it’s repetitive and honestly, didn’t need to be as long as it is. 

Track 11, “Lies,” is one of my favourites off the whole project. Collyer singing “It’s the truth, you’ve been busted,” will definitely get stuck in your head. The horns on this track, along with the vocals, are a big stand out for me. 

“Wiping Out,” is a track to write home about. Call your mom, tell her The Planet Smashers are leading into their new record’s last track with a hit. This track should be skated to. It’s an easy, fun listen, and the only issue would be its length. It should be longer. I’m an advocate for the band to harvest a couple bars from “Belly Up,” and donate them to this track. 

The record’s final track, “Easy Like I Do,” is sadly not for me. In my mind, the project ends with “Wiping Out.” The bouncing sound just isn’t for me, and I’m not a fan of the lyrics or lyrical flow either. Around halfway through the song there’s a nice harmony with the horns, and that’s great, but then it’s back to the bouncing vocals. It’s a cute love song, and I get it, but for me, it’s not the ending I wish the project had. 

As a whole, On The Dancefloor is a solid record. And with it releasing on CD, I’d say it would be best heard blasting it out of your car stereo at the skatepark during a summer skate session in the sun. With Tony Hawk being a fan of The Planet Smashers, I’m sure he’d agree. 

The album releases August 22, with pre-release singles, “Meet Me On The Dancefloor,” and “Things You Do,” releasing single July 11 and August 8 respectively.